In the Republic of Croatia the tender selection criterion that is predominantly applied is the lowest price criterion. Application of the most economically advantageous tender criterion is very rare, which is contrary to the practice in other EU Member States where the application of the lowest price criterion is the exception.
It is true that from the contracting entity’s standpoint the application of the most economically advantageous tender criterion is more complex because it requires much more preparation and analyses. Contracting entities’ avoidance of application of the most economically advantageous tender criterion impacts their ability to achieve a good investment and gain ratio in their public procurement procedures. Additionally, contracting entities’ authorized representatives are not well versed in the methods of multi-criteria decision making, and they do not possess IT solutions that would facilitate the application of the most economically advantageous tender criterion and enable a simulation of criteria comparison in order to achieve an acceptable investment and gain ratio.